


He Loves You (yeah yeah yeah)

by lls_mutant



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-03
Updated: 2013-10-03
Packaged: 2017-12-28 07:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/989539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lls_mutant/pseuds/lls_mutant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all started when Felix found a paper rose in his lab.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Loves You (yeah yeah yeah)

Title: He Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

The last thing Felix wanted to do was work on the star charts, but it was inevitable the Admiral would ask for them as soon as this latest sensation with Baltar's trial died down. He trudged to his lab and shouldered the hatch open, a part of his mind wondering just how much he'd get done, especially when most everyone else he knew wasn't working right now. One hour, he promised himself, and then if he still wasn't into it, he could go find Louis or Dee or someone.

His lab was the way he left it, and the star charts were in a neat jumble on the desk. He snagged the stool with his foot and sat down, pulling the charts forward. Then stopped.

Sitting on top of the charts was a beautiful paper rose.

Felix smiled as he picked it up. There was no name attached, but he really didn't need one. Only one person would have left anything like this for him. He spun the stem between his fingers, marveling at how realistic the thing was. So realistic that he almost smelled it before remembering it was made out of paper. Then with a regretful sigh he set it back down and reached for the star charts again.

The top paper wasn't a star chart, but a note. Not a note, he realized as he scanned it, but a poem. A short, simple poem that was a clue more than anything else. And all the clues pointed to Dee. Perfectly happy to have something to do rather than stare blindly at star charts, Felix picked up the rose and closed up his lab, heading to find Dee.

He found her in her quarters, stretched on her bed and reading a book that she put aside as soon as Felix came in. "I have something for you," Dee told him, and handed him another paper rose.

"These are amazing," Felix said, smiling as he took it and added it to the one he was already holding. "Louis must have really spent time on these."

"There's no name. How do you know it was Louis?" Dee asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Who else would it be?"

Dee frowned. "There are other people that could be attracted to you, Felix."

"That can do origami like this? Dee, stop fooling around. You know it's Louis," Felix said happily. There was a note attached to the rose. "Looks like Tyrol's got the next one. You have any idea of how many of these he made?"

"Not a clue. He didn't tell me. Is it your guys' anniversary or something?"

"Frak if I know. I can't keep track of the date anymore." Felix shrugged it off.

"It's just it seems like an awful lot to go through for a romantic gesture," Dee said. "Unless…."

Dee had _that look_ on her face. The one that meant she was thinking something. "Unless what?" Felix asked warily.

"Do you remember that show we used to watch when we were bored, back before the attacks? The one with the singing?"

"Of course." It had been a dumb show, but watching it with Dee was fun, and they could both blame the other for their brain candy addiction. "What about it?" A horrible thought occurred to Felix. "You don't think Louis is planning on _singing_ , do you? I've heard him sing and trust me, it’s just not a great idea."

"No, no. I was just thinking… they used the roses thing in that show a couple times, too. Someone would walk through the school or whatever and they'd see all their friends and their friends would give them roses or kisses or whatever and then…."

It took a minute, then he remembered that plotline and how it always ended, and the realization dawned. "No."

Dee's eyes widened. "Do you think Louis is going to-"

"Propose?" Felix cut her off. "No. No way. Louis isn't ready to… I mean, everything with Baltar's trial and…." He trailed off, staring down at the two roses. "Do you really think Louis is proposing?"

"I don't know," Dee said, but her eyes were lighting up with excitement. "Why else would he do all this?"

"He wants to take my mind off the trial?" Felix suggested. "He's bored and it was a way to entertain himself?"

"Or he's proposing. It's just the sort of romantic thing Louis would do." Dee leaped up. "Come on. Let's go find Tyrol and get your next rose." She grabbed Felix's hand and pulled him out of the room.

***

They found Tyrol down on the deck, of course. "Yeah, Hoshi dropped this off," Tyrol said, handing Felix another paper rose. "Although I'm not supposed to say it was him."

"Like it would be anyone else," Felix said, taking the rose. The note made it clear that Racetrack was next. "Who else would come up with something like this?"

"Yeah, well tell him to keep it down, will you? He's going to make life miserable for those of us who aren't so good in the romantic gestures department. I can't fold roses like that to save my life."

"I think this can be forgiven," Dee said. "This is Felix's proposal."

"Dee!"

"Proposal?" Tyrol shook Felix's hand. "Congratulations, man."

"We don't know that's what it is," Felix corrected sternly.

"Nah, it makes sense. Unless you two had a fight and he's groveling."

"No."

"Well, good to see something good happening around here for a change."

"Do you know where Racetrack is?" Dee asked, clearly eager to get on with the quest. 

"Yeah, actually- I saw her down by her Raptor about ten minutes ago." Tyrol grabbed a toolbox. "That's actually where I was headed next. I'll come with you."

Racetrack was sitting on her Raptor, the rose between her teeth. "What the frak is going on?" she asked as she handed the rose to Felix.

"Gaeta and Hoshi are getting married," Tyrol said, pounding Felix on the back again.

Racetrack looked confused. "Married? That seems kind of premature when they haven't even frakked yet."

Felix smirked smugly. "That's what you think."

"No way." Racetrack jumped down off her Raptor. "You've been frakking Hoshi? How long?"

"Not sure I want to hear the answer to that," Tyrol said.

"I meant how long have they been together, not how long is his dick." 

"Oh."

"So?" Racetrack turned back to Felix. "When did you get together?"

Felix shrugged. "Uh, not too long after the food shortage, I guess?"

"Come on, Felix, I need a date," Racetrack said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. "You're Felix Gaeta. Don’t tell me you don't remember the exact date."

He sighed. "Four months and two days after the Exodus."

Racetrack whistled. "That's gonna pay out pretty big."

"Excuse me?"

Her expression became innocent. "Never mind. Hey, hope you don't mind but I read the note, and it looks like you're off to Hot Dog next. Come on- I'm pretty sure he's in the rec room."

Four paper roses. Felix barely had a chance to look at them before he was pulled away.

***

There were actually three paper roses in the rec room, all set in an empty bottle. At first Felix thought he must be nearing the end of his quest, but then he realized that Hot Dog, Narcho, and Showboat were all playing cards together. "Okay," Narcho said when Felix and the others walked in, "what kind of sex are you giving up to get these roses?"

"It's not the sex," Dee said. "It's a proposal."

"Proposal?" Hot Dog looked at Racetrack. "Are you saying-"

"Gaeta and Hoshi are paying out at fourteen to one," Racetrack said happily.

"YES!" Hot Dog jumped to his feet, arms raised in victory. Narcho and Showboat both groaned. "Another one!"

"This is ridiculous," Showboat complained. "I haven't gotten one right since I put money on Thornton and Sian."

"Wait," Dee said. "The pilots bet on sex?"

"Well, sure," Showboat said, shrugging. "It's not like you bridge bunnies don’t."

"Yes, but…." Dee looked at Felix, and Felix shrugged.

"I know, I know," Narcho said grandly. "And I admit, it is kind of slow, betting on you CIC people to have sex when half the time you get more turned on by computers and tactics. That's why it's such a big deal when someone pays out."

"That's why the odds were so long," Hot Dog said, still prancing gleefully. "No one could be sure you two would stop talking computers long enough to get it on."

"Just give me my roses," Felix said irritably, wondering if he should give Louis grief for involving these three bozos. But looking at the seven folded roses in his hand, he figured he probably shouldn't. As long as Louis hadn't involved Starbuck.

He hadn't. The next rose led them back down to the deck to Figurski, and then that one took them to Thornton, who gave Felix the rose with a sly smile. "About time I got to be a best man," he said, and that completely confirmed that Dee was right, and this _was_ Louis proposing. If anyone would know before Felix, it was Abel Thornton, who was pretty much Louis's best friend from the _Pegasus_. An excited knot began forming in Felix's stomach, and the party that had gathered was feeling it, too. The gossip had an excited pitch to it, and somewhere along the line someone had picked up a few bottles of booze and was passing them around. 

The roses led them to the Marines, then to Cally (who did comment to Tyrol that this was an incredibly romantic proposal and maybe he could pick up some tips), and then finally, to Helo. Helo was waiting with a smile, a rose, and a bottle of decent ambrosia, right outside of Louis's rack.

"Gotta say, Felix. You picked a good one this time," Helo said, handing Felix the rose and the bottle. "He went to a lot of trouble."

"Well, it's a proposal," Dee said. "He should."

Helo blinked as Felix opened the door, fully expecting to see Louis waiting, a rose in hand and ready to get down on one knee. He was so focused on the image that he barely heard Helo say, "Proposal? I thought he was doing this because it was Felix's birthday."

Holy frak, Helo was right. It _was_ his birthday. Felix had totally forgotten. And as he opened the door to the racks he did see Louis with a rose, but instead of standing and waiting Louis was lying on the bed, wearing nothing but a smile. A smile that brightened when he saw Felix, and then very, very quickly disappeared when he saw the entourage that Felix had managed to gather.

"What the _frak_!?" Louis fumbled for the blanket that was bunched up at the end of the bed.

"What the… Hoshi, what the hell are you doing?" Narcho sauntered in. "You're supposed to have sex _after_ he says yes."

"Oh, come on. Like Gaeta won't say yes?" Showboat said. "He's been bouncing out of his skin this whole time. He's saying yes."

"But it's kind of presumptuous to just _assume_ it," Narcho argued. "And wait there naked." He gestured to Louis, who had finally managed to grab the blanket but was still trying to unfold it.

"With a proposal like this, anyone would say yes," Cally said. 

"Oh, stop worrying about the blanket and just do it," Hot Dog told Louis. "We don't care if you're naked. Just ask him."

"Just ask him what?" Louis looked confused.

Felix had to admit he was disappointed, but not _that_ disappointed. The idea of marriage hadn't really been broached yet- hell, they hadn't even said the big L word, although Felix had certainly been thinking it and was fairly certain that Louis was, too. But clearly Louis was not thinking it right now, and he was looking confused, embarrassed, and miserable. Felix decided to cut the losses.

"Guys, it's not a proposal. It's a birthday present."

Dee moaned. "That's right. I can't believe I forgot it was your birthday!"

"You forgot?" Helo turned to Dee. "You're his best friend!" He handed Felix a small wrapped package. "Happy birthday, by the way."

Felix patted Dee on the shoulder. "Don't worry- I forgot myself. No big deal. Now everyone get out so Louis can give me his present in private."

Hot Dog looked around. "We've got a pretty good party going here. Can't you guys just wait for sex?"

"Or pull the privacy curtain?" Narcho suggested. "We don't mind."

"Besides, it's a birthday," Racetrack said. "There should be a party."

Louis sighed. "I might as well get dressed. I'm going to need a bit to recover from you all walking in before I can do anything anyway. Let's have a party."

He looked so upset that Felix wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "We'll be alone after," he said, hugging Louis to him. 

"You thought it was-"

Felix didn't want to get into a fight tonight, especially since it would be pointless, as he wasn't that upset. "I thought it was incredibly romantic and the roses are beautiful," he said firmly. He kissed Louis, trying to ignore the whoop or two that came from the travelling peanut gallery. "Thank you."

Louis smiled in relief, and the party continued.

***

Later that night, they were sweaty and naked and alone behind a privacy curtain, the racks quiet although not empty. Felix nestled contently against Louis's chest. "I know it didn't go how you planned it, but it was a wonderful birthday."

Louis chuckled. "I guess I can't complain you got a surprise party. Even though I wasn't in on the surprise." He had been rubbing Felix's back gently, but his hand stilled. Somehow, Felix knew what was coming next. "Why did you think it was a proposal?"

Felix shrugged. "Oh, there was this dumb TV show that Dee and I used to watch before the attacks, and that's how people always proposed."

"Joy."

"Yeah. You ever watch it?"

Silence. Felix smirked, because that probably meant yes and Louis was too embarrassed to admit it.

"Were you disappointed it wasn't?" Louis asked quietly.

Felix shrugged, trying to sound casual. "A little," he said honestly. "But I don't know why. We haven't talked about it or anything."

"No."

"And I'm sure a lot of it was just the excitement of the others." Felix sighed and turned his head to look at Louis, who was reaching up to the shelf for something. "And… oh, I don't know. I guess it's kind of early and I- wait. What's this?" 

"It's the last rose."

Felix smiled. This one was painted red, whereas the others had just been left white. "It's beautiful."

"Read the tag," Louis said, still not smiling.

Felix caught it between his fingers, then his breath caught in his throat. The tag said _Will you marry me?_

"It was a proposal," he said softly.

"I didn't want to propose in front of everyone," Louis said. "Like you said, we haven't talked about it. If you want to say no or want to wait-"

"No," Felix said. "I mean, yes. I mean, no I don't want to say no and no I don't want to wait, and yes, I want to marry you."

Louis's face lit up. "Really?"

"Really." Felix smiled back. "Absolutely yes."

Louis was about to say something, when from outside there was a whoop. "Ten to one odds, baby! It's payout time!" Narcho shouted. The hatch opened and closed again, and Felix buried his head in Louis's shoulder, both of them laughing.

"Should have known they'd leave a spy," Felix said when he could speak. "We're stuck now. The whole ship will know in twenty minutes. We _have_ to get married."

"I can live with that," Louis said.

"Me, too."


End file.
